Resident asks city to restore restrooms, water and school access at Paulerino Park

At the March 13 Parks and Community Services Commission meeting, resident Cynthia McDonald urged the commission and staff to restore amenities and access at Paulerino Park, saying the small neighborhood park is primarily used as a pathway and lacks basic facilities that reduce public use.

McDonald identified herself as a Costa Mesa resident and said the park once had restrooms and water fountains that were removed. She asked the city to reinstall restrooms, add a water station (water and electrical service remain), and to pursue restoring gated access to the adjacent Paulerino Elementary School yard to increase usable park space. "There originally were restrooms and water fountains. I asked that the city reinstall the restrooms and add a water station. The water and electricity are still there," McDonald said.

McDonald also described site maintenance issues she sees: a sidewalk heavily cracked near Cheyenne Street and a tree that appears dead and needs removal. She characterized current park use as mostly a walking path between the school and Cheyenne Street and said playground equipment is seldom used; she said she does not take her 5-year-old grandson there because there are no restrooms.

McDonald offered a historical perspective in her public comment, saying the school originally had low fencing and neighborhood residents also used the school yard, and that higher fencing and locked gates later limited that informal access. She attributed some of those changes to concerns she described as driven by local xenophobia; those statements were her account and were presented as her perspective.

Staff did not announce immediate action at the meeting specifically for Paulerino Park. Commissioners and staff later discussed broader joint-use agreements with the school district (at separate agenda items) and the park-assessment work that staff said will review park needs citywide. McDonald also noted the cracked sidewalk and requested tree removal; staff advised residents to use the 311 app to report maintenance items and commissioners requested staff follow-up about older minutes and reports being made available online.

Ending: The resident's requests were entered during public comment; staff and commissioners said the upcoming park-assessment and continued joint-use discussions with the school district could address some access and amenity questions, and staff encouraged written service requests for identified maintenance items.